


THE DEVIL WITHIN

by embryonic_trite



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 23:18:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4498521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embryonic_trite/pseuds/embryonic_trite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Dark theme, slightly graphic detail, and course language; TW: Rape and murder; AU; strong resemblance of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; implied ROBRAE] Agent Raven Roth of the FBI pays a visit to her brother-in-law, infamous serial killer Red X</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. THE DEVIL WITHIN: First meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is an M rated story because of graphic detail and course language. Plus, this story closely resembles Silence of the Lambs. There are probably multiple grammar errors because it's unedited.
> 
> Disclaimer: don't own nothing
> 
> Song inspiring the title: THE DEVIL WITHIN by Digital Daggers

Hare Psychopathy checklist - USED BY PROFESSIONALS ONLY

**1)**  glib and superficial charm

**2)**  grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self

**3)**  need for stimulation

**4)**  pathological lying

**5)**  cunning and manipulativeness

**6)**  lack of remorse or guilt

**7)**  shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)

**8)** callousness and lack of empathy

**9)** parasitic lifestyle

**10)** poor behavioral controls

**11)** sexual promiscuity

**12)** early behavior problems

**13)** lack of realistic long–term goals

**14)** impulsivity

**15)** irresponsibility

**16)** failure to accept responsibility for own actions

**17)** many short–term marital relationships

**18)** juvenile delinquency

**19)** revocation of conditional release

**20)** criminal versatility

* * *

'You don't  _have_  to do this.'

She looked up at the direction of the voice and was met with aquamarine crystal for eyes. Shiny onyx locks were attempting to conceal a cut above the eyebrow, both new and a scar.

A small squeeze on her shoulder reminded her to stop staring.

'Dick, it'll be fine,' she said, offering a small–fake–smile as an attempt to cover how uneasy she was feeling.

Dick Grayson locked stubborn glances with the purple–haired woman. While parts of him wanted to slap her silly for her one–minded nature, other parts wanted to hold her against his heart to protect her from the amount of ugly she was preparing to encounter. This woman was hardly innocent, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to keep her at bay from the monsters.

His smile didn't match hers in the slightest, 'I don't want that  _bastard_  anywhere near you, Rave,' he admitted. He pulled her hand up to meet his lips, hoping his eyes gave some emphasis on how much he cared.

'First, stop. We're in public,' she pulled her hand away with a smirk, 'and second, I'm not afraid. This still doesn't–  _won't_  scare me.'

He buttoned her jacket together and straightened the badge she pinned to her front pocket. 'You tend to forget,' he said as he pushed her hair behind her ear, 'I'm the one who taught you  _how_  to put up a good front.' Despite her protests, his hand rested against her cheek, and she unconsciously leaned into his palm.

' _Stop_  worrying,' Raven warned, 'You have papers to be concerned with,  _Director_ ,' she drew out the last word with a mocking tone.

She was his prodigy, his student, so it was a little natural for her to be upset when he picked politics over perpetrators. But she knew to tread lightly, he liked detective work but he'd always wanted that nine to five life a little more. Bonus, he got to keep an eye on his wife from a director's seat without appearing overbearing.

Yes, their story was cliché to the max: the mentor and the student falling in love– but this version has an appropriate age difference.

'I can't help but worry about you…especially considering the position I just put you in,' he said, a twinkle of guilt in his pupils.

'You didn't– you don't put me anywhere,' she affirmed, 'I make my own choices.'

Any snarky response was halted by the ding of the door opening, the elevator sliding open to reveal a hallway ahead, prison cells on either side and animalistic sounds all around. With the exception of the red door at the end of the hallway, a metal door without a window, barely even a handle on it.

Raven walked towards the door, barely aware of Dick following her like a small puppy. As soon as she was a foot away from the door, she felt a hand on her elbow and realized her husband was trying to slow her down.

She turned around and met Dick face–to–face, actually it was her eyes meeting his chin because she was shorter than him and he always made sure to remind her of it. She held his stare as she removed her gun from her holster, placing her baby glock in his hand.

' _Raven_ , do not go in there without your weapon,' he said with obvious disapproval.

'Remember the profile,' she responded, 'If I go in there with a gun, he's going to feel threatened. He needs to feel superior to warm up to me.'

'I don't care about what  _he's_  going to feel.'

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, lingering a little longer than necessary, 'If he thinks I don't have anything to protect myself physically, he'll think he has a better chance of manipulating me.' With that as her final argument, Raven opened the door, and she didn't look back.

The room was wall–to–wall bars with rust and mold on it; this room was actually just one giant jail cell surrounding her. There was a plastic rectangular bench waiting for her; she almost wanted to call Anthony Hopkins and ask him for his opinion on the room.

Raven sat on the bench with her hands going through her hair, occasionally looking back at the door she came through to check if Dick was going to come charging through.

'Even though there are bars, there is still no  _fucking_  privacy.'

She turned her head to find a tall man with onyx hair– a gray streak in his bangs– leaning against a paved pillar inside of the cell. The sleeves of the orange jumpsuit were rolled at his elbows to reveal a few scars and a tattoo of a bat on the outside of his forearm. The smirk he was giving her made her feel a little unsettled, but, knowing how to deal with culprits like this, Raven remained stoic and refused to convey any emotions.

'Imagine trying to take a piss with  _those,_ ' he nodded his head referencing to the cameras on the ceiling, 'pointed at my ass.'

Raven stood up to meet his gaze and allowed him to do a head–to–toe glance, from her boots to her badge. He clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth, a noise of approval.

'When they said I was getting a visitor, I was expecting some asshole with a bad haircut,' he said…to her chest, 'I'm glad I was wrong.'

He didn't take his eyes off where her badge was resting against her chest until she snapped her fingers together.

She waited till his eyes met hers before she said in a robotic tone, 'I'm Agent Roth, of the FBI. I'm here to discuss your  _deal_.'

His smirk turned into a straight line and Raven clutched her empty holster, preparing for any sudden bursts of rage, but she remembered she gave her gun to Dick.

'Maybe you hotshots at the FBI can't read fine print but I believe I said I only wanted to talk to a member of my family about my deal.'

Raven crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, 'Your older brother sent me.'

He paused before he pushed himself off the wall, eyes narrowed at Raven, and stood tall in front of the jail cell. He did one more lookover before he started to laugh.

'So, how long has it been?' he said in between chuckles, 'I don't recall being invited to a wedding, Agent Roth… or is it Agent  _Grayson_?'

She remained still, any sort of reaction would've given him something else to use against her. Raven kept her tone neutral, 'I'm not so easily swayed. Try again.'

He stuffed his hands in his pockets in a cocky fashion and walked towards her, 'Does it bother you how much of a cunt your husband is? He sent his wife in his place because he's so fucking scared to face his own brother. What a pussy.' At his own revelation, he began laughing louder.

She closed her eyes and counted down to ten before she reopened her eyes and said, 'I believe it was that  _cunt_  that got your sorry ass arrested.'

He leaned in closer so his cheek was pressing against a bar, 'I'd prefer if you address me by my name, sweetheart.'

' _Red X_?'

'Nope.'

'Mr. Todd–'

'Jason,' he corrected, 'It's Jason,  _sis_.'

She walked a little closer to the bars and kept her stern gaze on him. His eyes were almost as distracting as Dick's.  _Almost_.

'I'd prefer if you address me as Agent Roth, and if you'd stop wasting my time,  _Jason_.'

Jason pulled a chair from under a table and propped it so he was facing her, 'Please sit, Agent.  _Attempt_  to entertain me.'

Pulling a manila folder from her bag, she took a seat so their eyes were leveled. 'The deal is still the same: you'll be transferred to a  _nicer_  cell in exchange place you buried your last few victims.' She leaned forward and slipped the folder in between the bars.

Jason Todd was known as a killer with speed, so it didn't take him long to take the folder and grab onto her wrist. He sniffed her skin, 'I remember my mother wearing this ring,' he gave her a toothy smile, 'It's nice to see Dick got all the blood off the emeralds,' he teased.

Raven twisted her wrist, forcing him to release his hold, and retracted her arm. She mentally scolded herself for the amateur move– she could actually hear Dick scolding her as well.

'I already know about the first time you "accidentally" slashed your mother's wrist. We found her body,' she said without meeting his eyes, 'along with the first five girls that you raped and killed.' Her eyes glared into his; Jason would never admit that her gaze was a little intimidating.

'The only thing that surprised me was that you saved your mother for last,' she said, 'In most cases, the death of the mother is the cause of killings.'

'I'm not like most cases, Agent.'

She rested her chin on her hand, 'I know you'd like to believe that but you are very textbook, Jason,' she said, 'A little boy neglected by his mother, harming his large sense of self–worth, and scorning all women because of it. Your victims were all brunettes with blue eyes. That is a very specific victim type–no one woman would do– so you used your father's resources to find your victims. You took advantage of them, with your mother being an exception.'

'What you did after you sexually assaulted them was unoriginal,' Raven ignored the growing smirk on his face, 'You cut their hair off and wrote the addresses of the burial grounds in their blood, and _personally_  sent it to your older brother to taunt him. Where'd you get the idea? Zodiac? BTK?'

He only gave her a blank expression before he slowly started to clap his hands, 'Bravo, Agent Roth,' he said, 'your stories are just so… _tasty_. Please, continue.'

'There are still bodies unaccounted for. The only reason you didn't repeat your routine is to make sure  _our_  attention remains on you,' she said, 'Now you have our attention. We gave you what you really wanted. It's your turn to return the favor.'

'Of course,' Jason leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs, 'I may be a psychopath but I am a man of my word.'

She didn't buy into his charm, 'You're dishonest, why would your word means anything?'

Jason stood quickly and gripped the bars in his hands, throwing Raven off guard, 'My word means more than your pathetic life. You're a whore whose only accomplishment is fucking my failure of a brother,' he licked his lips and narrowed his eyes at her, 'You're here at  _my_  request. You're standing in front of me with your hand on your fat hips because  _I_ have decided you get to live. Because I haven't reached through these bars and chocked you with my cock. Don't think for a second that pieces of metal are going to keep you safe.'

He backed away from the bars and sat back down in his chair. He smiled at her, as if he didn't just threaten her, and said, 'I believe you have some more questions for me, Agent Roth. Or are you just going to recite to me what we both already know?'

She didn't know why she was so surprised; that was the outburst of rage she anticipated all day for. Still, it startled her more than it should have. But, he couldn't know that.

Instead, Raven did nothing but raise her hand to wipe his spit off her eyebrow, 'When you picked your victims, were you thinking about your mother or your brother?'

He bit his lower lip– his eyes were glowing in nostalgia– and said, 'My victims were almost as pretty as Dick was, but I could never get the eyes  _just_  right,' he held his hand in the air to look at his nails, 'Was your engagement ring actually on my mother's rotten corpse or was it in her jewelry box? I just can't seem to remember what she was wearing when I, well, slit her throat.' If he had any sense of remorse, he didn't show it…because it wasn't there.

Did he actually believe Dick would give her a ring his mother wore when she died?

Raven clenched her fists at her side, 'Do you wish that your brother is as sick as you?'

'Of course not,' he turned away from her and decided to settle himself in his bed, hands locked behind his head, 'Then I'd have to share _another_  thing with that pussy.'

Her cold hard stare never left; she didn't have time to work out his brother–issues, 'Address. Now.'

Jason raised an eyebrow. It was as if he was surprised Raven had the  _audacity_  to demand something from him.

Nevertheless, he complied, '94514.' He watched the cogs turn in Raven's head and chuckled to himself, 'It's a zip code.'

Her eyes widened– this was the first time Jason watched her produce an emotional reaction, 'That's the same zip code as Wayne Manor.'

He closed his eyes and smirked, 'I'm a sucker for irony.'

Raven packed her stuff in a rush and proceeded towards the door– she needed to alert Dick ASAP and she remembered she gave him her cellphone– but paused in her step, only inches from the door.

She spun on her heels and faced him, even though his eyes weren't open to look at her, and walked back over to him in a huff, 'You did all of this because of Dick.'

His eyes remained shut, as if he didn't hear her.

'Agent Roth, that's so tedious.'

'It killed you that everyone chose Dick over you,' Raven scoffed, 'and you picked your victims because they reminded you of him. But it's not because you're mad at your brother. It's because you want people to sink their teeth into  _your_  story: one brother rapes and murders because he's angry with the other brother. They'll only care about you, and that'll finally distract them from Dick.'

He didn't need to respond; Raven got her answer from the smile creeping upon his face.

'I hate to break it to you,  _bro_ ,' she said, pride laced in her voice as she walked closer towards his cell, 'but you've been overshadowed,  _again_.'

Jason's eyes shot open at the sound of Raven slamming a piece of paper against the floor of his cell. It was the front cover of a newspaper.

Raven turned again and proceeded to walk away, the sound of Jason's frustrated howl mixed with the sound of her boots across the floor as she exited.

_**DICK GRAYSON OF THE FBI FINALLY CATCHES KILLER** _


	2. STILL HERE: They meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone requested I make a love triangle about these three…but honestly I don't really like writing love triangles. It's nothing personal, it's just that area of conflict is a little overused in my opinion. So this one was me trying to incorporate a Dick and Jason conflict with Raven.
> 
> The title of the chapter is 'Still Here' which is another song by Digital Daggers
> 
> Again unedited because I'm writing really late/early.
> 
> I don't own anything… I wished I owned things…

Jason Todd, more infamously known as "Red X", had many inspirations in life. There was the clever Charles Manson, the beautiful Aileen Wuornos, or good ol' fashioned Ted Bundy.

But, unlike them, Red X liked clean.

In fact, some officials would doubt his crime scenes for cleanliness and the only thing indicating these areas were crime scenes was the bodies he left neatly in the middle of the room—and wasn't one for blood getting everywhere. He was a killer and a rapist who hated bodily fluids on his leather jackets.

So, as soon as drops of AB positive splashed against his left cheek, he was quick to stop what he was doing just to splash some tap water onto his face.

Even if it meant taking a break from the task at hand.

The serial rapist/killer smirked once he returned to the man with his head down, tied to a chair with multiple stab wounds and a few bullet wounds.

'Sorry about that, I hate blood.'

That was almost ironic.

Jason crouched on his haunches in front of the broken man, 'as well as other shit on my clothes. But I'm sure you knew that considering how close we are—well  _were_ , brother.'

Dick Grayson was tempted to spit on his brother's face, but he was just too tired.

He just cursed at him under his breath, considering he took a position in federal politics he wasn't really used to using such coarse language…outside of home.

Jason almost laughed at Dick. 'Well, well, well, FBI hotshot Agent Grayson has a  _mouth_  on him. I bet your woman likes that.  _That's_  probably why people like you so much. Isn't that right, Raven?'

Dick's head popped up to see Jason standing near Raven's bloodied body on the dirt floor–he already knew she was there, he just had to make sure she was still breathing.

Her hair was spread out like a flower bed; her hair in disarray even showed him a few freckles on the back of her neck that were once cute and were now scratch marks from Jason's nails. Her grey blouse was shredded—he saw a tattoo on her waistline that he never knew about—and her khakis were pulled down, crumpled below her knees.

'You'll have to forgive her,' Jason said in a cheeky tone, 'She's a little  _out_  of it.'

Dick wasn't amused, 'If you touch a hair on her  _fucking_  head—'

Jason scoffed, 'Oh Dickie, my stamina may be better than yours but even  _I_ need a break. But I will hand it to you. I see you keep her around for more than just her perfect ass.'

From the corner of his eye, Jason saw Dick was preparing to give him another snappy remark, so he pulled out Raven's baby glock and shot his older brother in the thigh.

The FBI director didn't scream.

And Jason could barely enjoy his groans of pain.

Jason licked his lips in a mocking fashion, 'You probably didn't know that I've thought about her ever since she came to visit me. She is pretty fucking sexy, especially when she walks,' he taunted, 'I've thought about how  _hot_  it would be once I really got to know her. But I've thought more about when I get the chance to carve my name in her stomach with my favorite knife.'

Dick had to gulp down every colorful remark he had in mind.

'Jay, it doesn't have to be this way,' he looked up at his brother with a small twinkle of hope in his eyes, 'You could–'

'Really?  _Really_?'

Jason was torn between laughing and shooting Dick again.

'You're still going to try to reason with me even after what I did to you  _and_  your wife?'

'Jay–'

'After I ignored her cries of pain and  _took_  her–took what I wanted? I turned your wife into nothing but a scared, pathetic little mutt.'

'Jason,  _don't_.'

'Raven probably hates you now because you didn't do shit. You didn't protect her like a "good husband" would. I made you watch, made you helpless and completely unable to be her knight in shining polyester.'

'Shut the fuck up!'

Dick scolded himself–he knew better than to try and reason with a sexual sadist.

'What do you want me to say?' he said through his teeth, 'Do you want me to tell you that I hate you?'

Jason tapped the barrel of Raven's gun to his chin, pretending to look like he was thinking.

'Because I don't, Jay. I don't hate you.'

For once, Dick caught Jason by complete surprise, and the latter had no choice–his temptation too strong–but to listen to what his big brother had to say.

'I want to hate you,  _especially_ for drugging and assaulting my wife,' Dick felt tears ready to skydive from his eyes, 'But I can't, because  _you're_  my brother.'

Jason closed his eyes–it wasn't that Dick had suddenly made his heart grow with his little begging.

He was annoyed.

And he was a little pissed.

Walking over to the family favorite, Jason pulled at Dick's navy blue tie and forced him closer, Dick had no choice but to lean forward with the front of the chair–the two front legs were the only things keeping him on the ground. Dick winced at the pain of the pull on his neck, but, per usual, Jason didn't care.

'You're a pathetic cunt, y'know that?' Jason said, 'I raped and killed all those women–I'll probably treat your wife the same way–because you annoy the fuck out of me. And you're still trying to be the bigger man. You still  _love_  me? Still want me over for Christmas or for Bruce's birthday parties? Still want to be my best man once I wed some bitch? You dumbass,' Jason released Dick's tie, 'And people say  _I'm_  the one that's fucked up? Ha!'

'That's the difference between you and me, Jay.'

He grimaced; Jason didn't like the sound of self-righteousness in Dick's tone.

'You wanna know how I killed mother?'

He ignored Dick's pleading glare.

'I ran into her coming home from work–the bitch was too stupid walking home  _alone_ –and convinced her to follow me into an abandoned parking lot before I bashed her head into the hood of my car.

'She woke up to find herself handcuffed to my bed in only her undergarments. Of course I didn't rape her, that wasn't  _challenging_  enough. So I stabbed her multiple times in the spleen–did you know you can survive without a spleen–before I started cutting her hair for my  _signature_.

'Then, I gave her a cellphone and called  _you_ , Dick. And when you didn't pick up, she burst into tears. I mean, she cried when Bruce didn't pick up either, but not like she did when you didn't. Her _favorite_  son couldn't save the day.

'She begged me to kill her, to put her out of her misery. And I was just being the good son… when I  _finally_  slashed her throat.'

He turned his back to his big brother–unable to see Dick squeezing his eyes shut to prevent tears from falling–and walked over to where his sister-in-law was resting. With his boot, he rolled her over to her other side, so he could see the bruised and battered woman.

At the jolting movement, Raven woke.

She felt blood sliding from her right nostril. It hurt when she tried blink from her left eye–then she realized it was because she was bruised and bleeding from it. She had to spit on the ground to get the taste of blood–and some other fluid she didn't want to know about–out of her mouth.

'Wakey, wakey, Rae Rae,' Jason sang a little too close for comfort. He battled over whether or not he should restrain her, but after their little tussle, he believed Raven would be incapable of even speaking.

The bridge between her eyebrows wrinkled as she realized who was talking to her.

'Fuck off.'

She rested her head–ignoring the puddle of blood her ear was making–and saw her husband: he was in his typical work clothes with unattractive bullet holes and blood. His hands were tied behind his back and the shirt she bought him had precise cuts, indicating stab wounds.

'Raven,' Dick said, barely loud enough for her to hear, 'I'm…I'm so sorry.'

She shook her head at him, 'You didn't do anything.'

Jason chuckled, 'Exactly,' he forced the woman to sit up so she was facing her husband, 'he didn't do anything but sit and watch as another man fucked his wife.'

'That might be because you decided to tie him up, asshole,' she spat with a viper's venom.

He rolled his eyes at his sister-in-law, 'Like a few pieces of rope are going to stop him.'

Jason moved in front of her, crouching on his haunches, and studied her face. Even broken, her face was still very alluring.

'We didn't get to finish our talk last time, considering you left in such a hurry,' Jason said as he held the scrap of paper–the news headline she left him when she went to see him in prison–in front of her to look at, 'What's your little psychoanalysis now,  _Agent_  Roth?'

She shook her head–a move that almost looked like she was annoyed and like she pitied him–and said without emotion, 'Everything you do is about your brother, and that kills you inside because even in your own head, it's still not about you. You  _raped_  me, and you're expecting me to remember this moment as the day my husband couldn't save me. But you also want me to remember this as the day you took advantage over me–make up your goddamn mind. You're obsessed with proving Dick isn't a hero. That's why you can't  _successfully_  make a name for yourself. Not even in your own head.'

Jason rubbed his chin and nodded at her, 'Very good, Agent. I do want you to remember  _this_ ,' he took his knife and forced her to lay down, 'And I know  _just_  the way to do it,' he started working his knife as a sculptor would chisel marble.

Once he finished, he kissed his knife.

'Voila!'

Dick let out an animalistic growl as he realized Jason had carved a name–the nickname he gave his younger brother–near her navel. She was going to get a scar that said "Jay" as the worst tattoo ever.

Jay huffed, puffing air into his bangs, 'I'm bored now,' he took Dick's gun off the ground and reloaded the gun with blanks, all except one, 'Let's play Russian Roulette.'

As soon as he pushed the barrel against Raven's head, Dick shouted, 'Jason, stop! Don't do this to her, please. Use me. I'm the one you hate. Just don't touch her.  _Please_!'

Raven's eyes–well,  _eye_  nearly widened in shock. Of all the years she'd known and loved Dick Grayson, she'd never heard him plead.

She'd never heard him beg before.

Especially because it was for her, she didn't like it.

Raven turned her focus back onto Jason, 'Typical bad guy games,' she said, almost with a yawn.

Dick gave her a 'shut the fuck up' glare.

Jason just pushed the barrel of the gun further against her skull.

'Jason, I'm sorry,' Dick said, unaware of the tears falling down his cheeks, 'I'm sorry that I've hurt you. I'm sorry I turned you into this sociopath. I'm sorry. But, I'm begging you,  _don't_  hurt Raven anymore.'

Dick studied the way his brother was looking at his wife…the same way their mother would look at both of them.

He released some pressure against her head, 'Would you do anything for Dick?'

'Yes,' Raven said in monotone.

'Why?'

She made sure to stare directly into Dick's eyes, 'Because he's always believed in me. Because he's got the biggest heart I've ever seen. Because he's the only good thing about me. Because he's my best friend. Because I love him.'

'Would you kill for him?'

'Yes,' Raven said to Dick's face, without any hesitance.

Dick's eyes remained emotionless, neither conveying if he was happy nor upset.

Jason walked over to his older brother, 'And what about you, big brother?' he whispered into his ear, 'Would you kill for Raven?'

Dick paused for a moment–Jason was smiling a little at this–and studied his wife. Meeting her purple eyes, Raven's face was blank, yet he knew exactly what she was saying–almost as if they had a telepathic bond.

'No I wouldn't,' he answered to Raven's face.

Jason almost wanted to clap his hands and skip.

' _Really_? I would've thought–'

'Because,' Raven said for her husband, refusing to look at her brother-in-law, 'he knows he wouldn't be the man I love if he did.'

At that answer, Jason almost threw up.

'How sweet,' he said, 'Now I'm bored again,' he put the gun back up to the side of Raven's head, 'Shall we play a game?' without warning, he moved the gun away from her head–she almost didn't feel his presence anymore–and released the trigger…

…only met with the blasting blank.

But the pressure was still enough to guarantee Raven a migraine in the next few seconds.

She muttered under her breath, 'Jason, this is your last chance.'

'I guess that blank was a little too hard on you, Agent Roth,' he prepared another bullet for Raven.

'You're probably right. I'm an idiot.'

Jason nearly lost grip of the gun once Raven tackled him. She was able to straddle him and force the gun before his head, but his finger was still on the trigger. Luck was on her side: she ducked and pointed the gun towards the ceiling before the real bullet could graze her face.

She kneed his arm and he released the gun, but Jason fought back and punched her in the gut. She lost balance, giving him the opportunity to push her against the floor onto her back. He gripped her shoulders and forcefully brought her towards him before he smashed her head back into the pavement.

He pulled out a knife–he had  _so_  many– and held it above her forehead, but Raven caught his wrist before the blade could touch her skin. She elbowed him in the chest before she took the knife from his hand–not by the base but by the blade unfortunately–and forced it away from him, towards Dick's general direction. Once again, Jason punched her in the stomach, but this time he jammed his fist against the area he used to carve his name. Raven couldn't help but groan loudly at the pressure against her injury. She moved her knees against her chest and used her feet to push him off her chest so she could gain the advantage of being on top of him again.

While on top of him, she searched the floor with her hand before she finally found the gun he lost. Gripping the gun by the barrel, Raven smashed the gun handle against his head.

She threw the gun away and punched him in the nose.

Then she punched him twice in the eye.

'Okay, okay, I give–' she smashed her fist into his teeth. She continued to punch his face–aiming for places she first thought she missed, than rehitting the same places.

'Agent Roth!'

She ignored the voice and continued to punch Jason.

'Raven. Raven!'

Raven didn't stop until she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her diaphragm pick her up off his unconscious body.

'Hey,  _hey_ , stop. Raven, stop!' Dick pleaded as he pulled her off his brother. He was struggling slightly considering he still had a bullet in his thigh and Raven was still kicking and swinging her fists. He tightened his grip on his wife, holding her tighter against his chest.

She kept on swinging until she caught sight of her knuckles–bloodied and bruised–and of Jason–bleeding on the ground but still barely bleeding and lightly breathing.

'Shhh, it's okay,' Dick soothed as he pat down her hair, ignoring the blood getting on his fingers, 'I'm sorry, Rave. He can't hurt you. I'm here, I'm right here,' he buried his lips into her scalp, 'I won't let him hurt you again, okay? I'm so sorry, Raven. I won't let anything happen to you again.'

Raven held his arm in her hands before she soaked in the smell of his cologne and the smell of rust.

She looked down at her body and saw all of the marks and scars Jason gave her.

She began to cry.

She cried like never before, smothering her face in his upper arm as he soothed her hair.

'It's okay. I won't let anything ever happen to you again, Raven. I'm so sorry. I won't ever let anything happen to you again, okay? I'm sorry.'

Jason's health wasn't his big concern at the moment–Dick knew Raven could pack a hard punch but Jason could handle it.

All Dick cared about was the woman in his arms crying her soul out–having to remember everything Jason took away from her: her sense of security, her sense of sanity, or her sense of morality.

At that thought he held Raven closer to his chest, and she began crying even harder.

He'd never seen her cry before.

Especially because it was for him, he didn't like it.

Dick lied.

He did hate his brother.


End file.
